States Moving Into the Spotlight With Varied Pilot Efforts

In the past few years, a number of states have created and funded
pilot programs to experiment with the concept of school restructuring.
Listed below are some examples:

Arkansas. Restructuring for Higher Order Learning. A 1987 initiative
of Gov. Bill Clinton. Fifteen schools that have met the minimum
standards established by the state's 1983 education-reform law have
been given the chance to restructure their schools in order to improve
student learning. Schools may submit requests for waivers from state
rules and regulations, accompanied by a rationale for why such waivers
are needed. No funding is currently available for the program, but the
Governor has asked lawmakers to expand it by providing planning grants
of up to $5,000 for participating schools, and three- to five-year
implementation grants of up to $30,000 per year. As part of the
planning grants, each school would have to develop an accountability
system for reporting its results to the public. Contact: Marie Parker,
program support manager, Arkansas Department of Education, 4 State
Capitol Mall, Room 404A, Little Rock, Ark. 72201; (501) 682-4243.

Maine. Restructuring Schools Project. An initiative sponsored by the
Maine Department of Educational and Cultural Services to change the
structure of schools in order to deliver education more effectively to
all students. Seven schools have received $10,000 planning grants, and
three schools have received three-year implementation grants of $50,000
each year. Participating schools may request waivers from state rules
and regulations that impede their plans. The schools also must devise
measures to evaluate their programs. Contact: Richard H. Card, deputy
commissioner, Maine Department of Educational and Cultural Services,
State House Station No. 23, Augusta, Me. 04333; (207) 289-5112.

Massachusetts. Carnegie Schools. A $1.5-million grant program to
encourage innovations in school-based management and decisionmaking in
order to improve student learning. In August, seven schools were
awarded $30,000 planning/implementation grants. Participating schools
receive technical assistance from the state and may request waivers
from rules and regulations that impede their progress. Additional funds
may be released for the program after January, if the state's revenue
picture improves. Contact: Barbara Brauner Berns, director, office of
planning, research, and evaluation, Massachusetts Department of
Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1385 Hancock St., Quincy,
Mass. 02169; (617) 770-7309.

North Carolina. LEAD Teachers/Restructuring Project. Six schools in
threees are participating in this two-year, $450,000 pilot program that
is intended to improve student learning by changing the decisionmaking
structure at the school site and by creating new roles for teachers.
All of the schools have been freed from existing rules and regulations,
in exchange for providing lawmakers with accountability measures of
student performance and employee satisfaction. Contact: John N. Dornan,
The Public School Forum of North Carolina, 117 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh,
N.C. 27603; (919) 832-1584.

Washington State. Schools for the 21st Century. In 1987, lawmakers
approved this $2.5-million grant program to encourage individual
schools and districts to experiment with reforms of their own design.
To date 21 projects, encompassing both individual schools and school
districts, have been selected to restructure their schools in order to
improve student learning. The schools and districts chosen for the
program will have six years to conduct their experiments, and more
schools will be allowed to join the program in future years.
Participating schools may also request waivers from state regulations
that hinder their efforts, such as those stipulating the length of the
school day. Each grantee is responsible for evaluating its project,
including providing some measure of student performance. Contact:
Marcia Costello, coordinator, Schools for the 21st Century, Office of
the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Old Capitol Building,
Mailstop FG-11, Olympia, Wash. 98504; (206) 586-4512.

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